Christmas over Mortgage

Joe_Bloggs

Life is what it is all year round. The Christmas period is whatever you want to make of it.
Many retailers go bonkers and assume that because it looks 'Christmas' that we will all spend our money in their shops.

You have to walk in fear where biscuit tins have recently appeared, stacked up to the ceiling. How are you meant to buy one? Do you take one from the top and require the assistance of the fire brigade or do you take one from the bottom and risk a collapse that may even make the local news.

J_B.

Floxxie

You can use John Lewis vouchers online - just rub off the silver bit and input the code.

Gorgeous_George

JL vouchers etc., can be sold on eBay.

GG

SandC

That's surprised me greatly - just as the number of people wanting payment holidays to cover maternity leave. What happened to having a contingency plan? With interest rates the lowest ever then surely it's only those who have lost their jobs or who are on short time working who are struggling any more than any other year?

fozzeh

picardygirl wrote: »

I agree with the monthly saving too ....

Ever since we had our children, and they are teenagers now, christmas obviously became a lot more expensive for us. So i set up a different account, and every time my husband gets paid a standing order goes directly into our christmas account, there its builds up over the year, and come the end of November, we have over £600 to spend on Christmas.

We just look at it as part of our outgoing bills and its worked for years.

I do the exact same thing...get paid, save £130, Christmas sorted.
£50 for Christmas, £40 for me, £40 for my daugther into her CTF so that when she is 18 she has £11k for uni' as a starter...that is forward planning!

The_White_Horse

There should be a law banning all form of christmas advertising, christmas songs, christmas lights, and availability of anything christmas like until 10th December.

two weeks of this hell on earth for one day (that usually fails to live up to expectations) is more than enough.

You know it makes sense.

Wutang_2

The_White_Horse wrote: »

There should be a law banning all form of christmas advertising, christmas songs, christmas lights, and availability of anything christmas like until 10th December.

two weeks of this hell on earth for one day (that usually fails to live up to expectations) is more than enough.

You know it makes sense.

Why?

I would rather they started advertising earlier - maybe June.

And if you are as Laissez Faire as your bizarre signature suggests, then this law would be rather hyporcytical.

xx_Jo_xx

This is only the OPs version of what callers have called up to say - lots of people overpay on their mortgages throughout the year to take a payment break over the festive period when outgoings are 'generally' higher regardless of how much or how little you spend on the day itself.

If this is part of some peoples annual budgeting then who are we to judge?

Someone mentioned a Barclays-Saver.....If they had sat the money in there for 12 months it would have earnt what? 3? 4% at best?

So people overpay into their mortgages, often their largest liability and then choose to take a one month payment break over christmas - its not as bad as it sounds, I dont think.

For the FEW who have not budgeted for christmas, perhaps these are some of the families who have faced redundancy this year and are desperately trying to make an effort to make sure their kids have a christmas!

And I compeltely agree with all the comments that you do have to spend a fortune on Christmas.....but perhaps they are not all MSErs

Perhaps OP - the next person who calls you, you can say to them, why not hop on to the money saving website - that way you can learn how to have a cheap christmas AND pay the mortgage!

x

b0rker

Authorised arrears are not a wise move, at any time of year:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2066777

xx_Jo_xx

b0rker wrote: »

Authorised arrears are not a wise move, at any time of year:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2066777

Sorry, I dont see how that OP's situation is relevant to this discussion.....I thought we were talking about people taking a one month payment break at xmas, rather than lengthy payment breaks, often and when they have spare cash?

Although not ideal, arent payment breaks designed for people who have previously overpaid and are now perhaps redundant?